I took the train down to Portland last week for my book signing at Coco & Toulouse. It was a quick 36 hour trip. But like all the time that I/we spend with our beloved friend Jo Ellen, aka CoCo, it is action packed. This was my first time seeing inside the newly renovated King Street Station in Seattle. Wow. Divine. Worth just stopping in to see the space. Incredible really. Look up, you will see the above ceiling. I could stare at all that amazing detail for hours. But I didn’t, I had a train to catch, so it was a quick gander. Really beautiful.

Vintage hunting & gathering has always been at the top of my list when in PDX. Always has been. Typically, our car is so full you can barely see out the windows when we drive back. Taking the train I was limited to just filling up my suitcase. My XL suitcase that was filled to the brim by the time all was said and done.

Monticello Antiques on Stark Street is always a visual inspiration. Many of the pieces are quick large, so fitting in my suitcase was not in the cards. But visiting antique malls, which Monticello is, is always worth it for ideas and for inspiration. Always.

I managed to still find lots of treasures that fit into my bag. Then it was onto Stars Antique Mall, which is right next to CoCo’s shop. I have known the owners Brent & Darwin for close to 20 years. They have been in the biz for quite some time, and they have always gotten it right. I am a huge fan of the mix of dealers they always put together. If I am in Portland for 5 minutes, I always stop in at Stars. Much more lovely stuff was added to the suitcase.

There is another Stars right across the street too. Time did not allow doing both, but I did get to look in and say hi to Rachel, the owner of Flowers By The Bunch. I adore her work. Walk into her shop/studio, and you feel like you fell down the rabbit hole into floral heaven. There is never a bloom in the her space I don’t covet. Lucky for me, CoCo had Rachel create an amazing arrangement for the table where I was signing books. Lucky me.

Then it was onto the book signing and then the fashion show CoCo was doing in honor of Mother’s Day. I had never been to one of her fashion shows. What a treat! Fun to see all the beautiful clothes she sells modeled by many folks I have known for years. All such fun. The Sellwood neighborhood is a must when you visit Portland. Coco, Brent, Darwin, Rachel and all their neighbors have put together one heck of a fine assortment of shops and eateries. Portland is known for its great neighborhood shopping districts. Sellwood has always been one of my favorites. After a long action packed day, we grabbed a Pizzicato pizza, headed to Jo Ellen’s, opened a bottle of Veuve, had dinner and chatted the rest of the eve away. Good friends are one of the best things in life. Then it was up early to catch the train back to Seattle. Hugely recommend the train for this journey. Both stations are right downtown. It was a full 36 hours, but such a treat. For all of you who came to the book signing, big thanks and oh so lovely to see you.

Each word of the book is so lovingly spoken and your voice exudes such warmth and kindness. You are so genuine with your readers. And so interested in teaching them how to love… Love art…. Love nature… Love small things… Love friends… Love family… And love life.

— Haley from New York

Ted’s ‘Style & Simplicity’ is absolutely Lovely (with a capital L)! It’s also charming, fun to read, and full of wonderful advice.

— Newell Turner, Editor in Chief at House Beautiful

Ted Kennedy Watson has a most refined sense of aesthetics…and he shares some of his best secrets, for which I am so grateful!

— Lisa Birnbach, author of The Official Preppy Handbook

Ted, and his namesake fine good emporiums Watson Kennedy are legendary in this town. What he does brilliantly is quality over trend, substance over vapid style.

— Kaye Wellman, author Eat, Shop, Seattle

If you’ve ever wanted to walk through a stylized photo in a magazine this shop is a phenomenal fix for that as the merchandising is crazy delicious to feast your eyes upon.

— Uncle Beefy at thebedlamofbeefy.com

I feel like a kid in a candy shop every time I walk in the door.

— Apartment Therapy

I ordered ‘Style & Simplicity’ and it was delivered to my home in Hermanus, South Africa. What a delightful book and inspiration!

— Marlien on Facebook

The Seattle tastemaker behind Watson Kennedy: a personally curated store with the absolute best gifts, treasures, home goods, and hand-selected music.

— Town & Country

#genius #book @watsonkennedy #brilliant #perfect #gift

— Howard Slatkin on Instagram

Truly a visual feast for the eyes and palate.Thank you for sharing your abundance of “everything good”.We customers are transported to shopping heaven while in your store(s) and website.

— Blog reader Kris

We’ve long been fans of Seattle retailer Ted Kennedy Watson and his first title certainly lives up to it’s stylish name. The lavish A to Z guide is bursting with tips on how to create a cozy, chic and inviting home.